As Interim Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence & Educational Innovation in the College of Engineering, Dr. Sheridan is working to ensure that everyone who comes into contact with the UW-Madison College of Engineering feels like they belong in this College. The units she oversees promote this by (1) infusing the teaching and learning mission of the College with inclusive excellence, (2) teaching others in the College how to build concepts of inclusion and belonging into their own domains, and (3) sharing and disseminating work that promotes engineering equity throughout the College and beyond. These units include: The Center for Innovation in Engineering Education (CIEE); Learning Success/Undergraduate Learning Center; Engineering Communication & Applied Ethics; WiscProf, Wisc-LSAMP, and Professional Development for Faculty and Staff.
Dr. Sheridan received her PhD from the Department of Sociology at UW-Madison in August 2001, specializing in social stratification and quantitative research methods. Her publications cover topics such as measurement of occupational standing, long-term effects of childhood abuse, and faculty diversity in science and engineering. Prior to this role, she served as the executive and research director of the Women in Science & Engineering Leadership Institute (WISELI), developing and overseeing the workshops and grant programs administered by WISELI, as well as the research and evaluation produced by WISELI including seven waves of the Study of Faculty Worklife climate surveys.